she also featured on someone elses album which was recorded before she died (I think so, someone old). The other nominees would probably be all 'she deserved it cause she was such a legendary artist that tragically died' etc etc....none of them will be seen to be bitter as they probably respect her as an artist and for what she did for pop (i.e. bringing back a different style into the charts)

But I agree. Its pretty bullshit and I couldn't really stand her even when she was alive so don't see much point in rewarding her.

they're not awful, but they're neither here nor there. They're just filling the 'token indie band' gap, not just for the BRIT awards, but everywhere in the mainstream really.

In 10 years I'm sure we'll all be thinking "were they really ever that popular?!", in the same way I did earlier today when I watched a video of Electric Soft Parade playing on Top of The Pops with a top 20 single. A top 20 single!!

It's a very tokenistic list, I guess it's up to personal opinion whether you take that as a good or a bad thing. The people who I wanted to get nominated (i.e. Plan B, Jessie Ware, Frank Ocean and Lana Del Rey) did so I'm fairly pleased.

I think with the Brits you can't expect it to ever come out of the leftfield. As long as you've got someone to cheer for in every category that's a result. Plus, Cat Power, Bat For Lashes and The Boss made the cut too and with albums I genuinely liked.

The Winehouse and Rolling Stones nods are ridiculous. You've got to feel one is a ploy to get the Stones to turn up and the other is overly deferential at best.

The British Bands category is fairly embarrassing but so was the roster of acts to realistically choose from.